ISLAMABAD: During the second quarter of 2024, the country witnessed 380 violence-linked fatalities and 220 injuries among civilians, security personnel, and outlaws, resulting from as many as 240 incidents of terror attacks and counter-terror operations, says a report released here.

Khyber Pakhtun­khwa and Balochistan provinces were the epicenters of violence, accounting for nearly 92pc of all fatalities and 87pc of attacks (including incidents of terrorism and operations) during this period, says the report released by Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS).

The report claims that the violence and casualty rates across the country plummeted in the second quarter and the country experienced a 12pc reduction in overall violence, with 380 fatalities recorded compared to 432 in the first quarter.

The most notable improvement was seen in Balochistan, where violence decreased by 46pc, with fatalities falling from 178 in the first quarter to 96 in the second quarter of this year.

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However, Punjab and KP experienced a surge in violence, with an increase of 13 and 31 fatalities, respectively, compared to the previous quarter.

The report says that civilians, government officials, and security personnel suffered 62pc of all fatalities, significantly higher than the 38pc fatal losses among outlaws.

Among the civilian fatalities, there were 24 workers who were targeted in Balochistan and KP due to their ethnic identities in addition to four coal miners and two polio workers.

As many as 11 people lost their lives due to sectarian violence.

Police and army personnel became frequent targets of terrorist attacks. There were two DSPs among the police officials who lost their lives while 31 cops were also victims of violence. Nearly 65 soldiers including an army captain lost their lives while a former brigadier, Ameer Hamza, also got fatally amb­ushed by unidentified attackers.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2024